Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-08-27
100 Doses One Dollar

ever, it is all changed now. Laws and
law books are within the reach of old and
? ,ung, sud young lawyers, to their credit
be it said, ale usually as well posted IS
their elders"
"What do you think Of law as bust
ness; l mean as money making enter
prise or means of earning competency,
sside from its purely professional fea-
tures?" asked the scribe.
II see what you are after" responded
the lawyer, land know Whist you NEAR,
but | am sorry to inform you that the
practice If law has few professional
features not Comprehended in the cate
CORY enumerated. We have clients still,
but not the historical clients Of which
you have read. The lawyer attends your
business nowadays for pay, not friendship
nor as the result OF patronage or guard
ianship. 1t is cold blOoded business at
present, shorn Of all sentiment. 1t may
be better so, as | think lawyers are more
loyal to their clients interests and clients
are more Independent. AS g profession
or business then, the practice OF law IS
good Ior those adapted by nature for the
pursuit. Education can make Judge,
when coupled with good sense and lnteg-
rity, but 1t takes all these and
more for a successful lawyer.
He must be aggressive, energetic
and active TO succeed. | am speaking
now Of pecuniary success. lie must be
industrious, persistent, labOriOus and 8
stranger to discontinue. Civil practice
pays best. Criminal practice attracts the
young unerringly, but there is not one in
a hundred fitted for this branch. There
are men who make money out of their
criminal practice, but they usually are
astute, quiet workers, who lay the plans,
make the balls and have someone else to
fire them. The criminal lawyer who is q
power before Jury is seldom one who
aCCumulateS wealth. He must DE emo
tional, sympathetic and full of human
feeling in order to move hearts. A cold,
calculating, money making man can not
impress Jury. 1t takes man with
big heart, who is unselflsh, generous and
careless about himself to transmit
feeling to others and arouse sym
psthies responsive to his own.
Such men as these work hard, make
money, enjoy life and die poor. 1t is
your crusty, cautious, dspper little gen
tleman who always keeps an eye on the
main chance, and makes every move
count, that scCumulates. l seldom hear
& young lawyer make an eloquent appeal
to Jury without feeling sorry for hiR.
He must feel what he says and this ,sus-
ceptibilitv renders him usually friend
to everybody but himself. He may gains
fame and the plaudits of the public, anS
viii wealth, but he seldom keeps it. He
Is more than likely to plunge into the
maelstrom OF politics and tbs is
practical ruin. That portion Of the
practice of law with which the public is
familiar, l mean the courthouse
wranglng and speech making, is the least
part of it. Lawyers try to win their
cases before entering court, and if they
cannot they keep out SO long as they can.
AS class they compare favorably with
any set OF gentlemen in any Of the liberal
professions. Black sheep may nOwssnd
then obtain admission to the profession,
to all outward appearances, but there is
an inner circle which is sacred to those
only who are worthy. The highest order
of legal ability seldom descends to druid
gerry in these latter days, and you seldom
hear such men as Corkling reading de-
cisions or quoting text books as part Of
their argument. The written law is well
understood by each side before the issue
| is joined, and the master minds break
the bondage of conventionalities
and perfunCtorY ploddings and
carve new routes and passages through
the virgin forests OF thought,
or struggle heroically with worthy adyer-
saries upon the broad, smooth plain Of
human justice and human rights. 1t takes
time, patience and labor to reach the ze-
NTH, and once there the prospect shows
the approaching end, while retrospection
shows only succession of struggles
where alternate victory and disappoint-
ment are so blended together as to be one
insepsrable whole. Still 1 believe it Is
about as good as any other character Of
service in the masters vineyard.
The scribe withdrew without interpos-
ing any objection, but feels that keeping
store or being president Of bank would
1T him better.